Richmond Region Transportation

[burt]

I lke Councilman Pantele's people-mover plan. Two separate loops between Shockoe Bottom and Boulevard carrying passengers in alternative fuel driven rubber-tired vehicles makes sense. Adjustments can be made to such a system before committing to steel rail.

I would hope an early adjustment would be to include Carytown and Tobacco Row in the loops, and to offer frequent service. They need not be large vehicles if they ran every 5 minutes. Electric powered buses would be ideal.

Eventual expansions could be additional abbreviated routes into and out of the East End, Northside and Manchester to an enclosed transfer point on Broad Street.

The plan would make express service practical for GRTC's fleet on outlying routes.

Edited November 25, 2006 by burt

[eandslee]

Has anyone else reported this? If not, I am. This is good news and a first step to a light rail system in downtown Richmond:

Free downtown shuttle service coming in 2007

Edited December 1, 2006 by eandslee

[burt]

Has anyone else reported this? If not, I am. This is good news and a first step to a light rail system in downtown Richmond:

Free downtown shuttle service coming in 2007

Similar plans have been tried in past years without success. Here's hoping this one will take off. However, with a 30-minute headway between buses from 2PM and 11PM, I wouldn't look for much traffic on the lines. Frequency could be the answer - even if many buses run the loops empty. I predict most of them will run empty anyway. May as well really give it a try with 5-minuter headways all day long and extend service all the way west to the Boulevard and east to Tobacco Row.

Much as I hate to say it, Eric, I think Richmond is a long way from steel track service on its streets. Two-car diesel trains possibly could operate on existing tracks linking Main Street Station to Petersburg/Hopewell/Ft. Lee; Ashland; Watkins Center; Williamsburg (via the airport); Hanover Court House, and even to points in New Kent county. But I'm not holding my breath.

[wrldcoupe4]

Looking Anew at Streetcars and Other Downtown Transportation

So what can we do here ?

John Lewis, the CEO of GRTC, presented a plan that is somewhat of a hybrid but provides the best bang for the buck in the shortest time frame possible.

The term he used is Bus Rapid Transit. It would consist of hybrid buses that would be specially designed. They would have dedicated running ways, substantial stations, an efficient fare-collection system, limited-stop all-day service, strong identity and branding, and modern low-floor and high-capacity vehicles.

[Cadeho]

We never should have dismantled our system. In all this time, the rails could have been upgraded and the whole system could have evolved.

[joey]

I don't think Richmond needs BRT within most of the city -- a simple, frequent, and uniquely-branded standard bus line would work just fine.

Look at the DC Circulator: it's effectively a standard bus (though with lower floors to facilitate access), and it works incredibly well. It's frequented by people who work and live in town, and in some cases by tourists.

Give it a unique name (e.g., "Richmond Urban Circulator") Put maps up along the route, make fare collection easy, construct it as a simple linear route from Shockoe Bottom to Carytown or Willow Lawn, fund it well enough to arrive every 10-12 minutes, set the fare a simple $1, and people will ride.

I say BRT isn't necessary because the City of Richmond north of the River doesn't have traffic: it's not like people would flock to a bus because their cars are getting stuck in stop-and-go traffic on Grace Street. People who live and work/shop near it would ride it because it's simple and cheap. A route like this would be accessible to most everyone in the Fan, most everyone in the Museum District, everyone downtown, most everyone in Shockoe Bottom, and some people in Church Hill. And it would take a lot of these people where they want to go (except Short Pump, Cadeho's orgasmic destination of destinations).

Edited December 4, 2006 by joey

[Cadeho]

So you're saying traffic south of the river is bad?

Sure Chesterfield has some problems, but I also think Mechanicsville is going to have some issues. All their main routes in the evening are clogged and in the mornings, they always back up 64 going into the city. We don't necessarily have to wait until we end up like northern Va which also has regional transportation. We don't have to wait until there is a 4 hour commute to get across town.

[burt]

When I was in Richmond in October, I made a point of peering into passing buses. More often than not they were either empty or carried a handful of passengers. Even at rush hours, when one would expect standing room only, full buses were hard to spot. But they ran with frequency, or so it seemed by the number of them on Broad Street downtown.

GRTC has won awards for its well-run system. Considering its limited acceptance in surrounding counties, that reflects a pretty remarkable business management.

I agree with Joey that something less than BRT would suffice. Especially, if an express system on existing routes running in and out of the free shuttle parameters could be implemented -- i.e., running express from a couple of downtown stops to the edge of shuttle service, thence local stops to the end of the line. Reverse this plan for incoming buses. One transfer might be required depending on one's destination within the "free zone". That's one reason short header times would enhance the shuttle lines.

Edited December 4, 2006 by burt

[wrldcoupe4]

During rush hour, commuter buses out to Western Chesterfield are all at or near capacity.

[joey]

So you're saying traffic south of the river is bad?

Sure Chesterfield has some problems, but I also think Mechanicsville is going to have some issues. All their main routes in the evening are clogged and in the mornings, they always back up 64 going into the city. We don't necessarily have to wait until we end up like northern Va which also has regional transportation. We don't have to wait until there is a 4 hour commute to get across town.

Well, I'm only referring to the City of Richmond. Short Pump has semi-bad traffic, and perhaps Mechanicsville isn't a walk in the park, but that's not the need that would be addressed by the simple circulator route I suggested. The only real consistent traffic back-ups I'm familiar with in the City are on the Powhite Parkway.

I'm not addressing regional transportation: I'm talking about an in-town circulator in lieu of a trolley or short BRT loop for the people who choose to live and work where it's denser.

[burt]

During rush hour, commuter buses out to Western Chesterfield are all at or near capacity.

More commuter buses and routes should be inaugerated. My plan would supplement that service on existing lines and encourage use of shuttles within the inner city as well as speed travel from present outlying terminal points -- i.e., U of Richmond to City Hall and/or Fulton Hill to City Hall. When other north, south and east "free zone" loops are added, the same would apply to them.

A major transfer center downtown is necessary even if no changes are made. The empty lot on Broad between 4th and 5th with a large garage above it might be an ideal site as long as it were secure and properly maintained.

[eandslee]

I think that Richmond should implement an electric bus system for a circular downtown just like Chattanooga Tennessee. I used to live in Chattanooga and this system is a huge success. The shuttle is actually free to ride, but even if Richmond implemented a small fee, it'd be no big deal. Here's a website to which I am referring:

Chattanooga's Downtown Electric Shuttle System

[burt]

I think that Richmond should implement an electric bus system for a circular downtown just like Chattanooga Tennessee. I used to live in Chattanooga and this system is a huge success. The shuttle is actually free to ride, but even if Richmond implemented a small fee, it'd be no big deal. Here's a website to which I am referring:

Chattanooga's Downtown Electric Shuttle System

Exactly, Eric. Electric buses without trolly attachments. They have to be recharged about every 40 miles or so. They are just the right size for the proposed Richmond loops. I never cared for those fake trolly buses. For the most part they are very uncomfortable and by no means weather-proof.

And note that they run about every 5 minutes in Chattanooga. Half hour headways between 2pm and 11pm is counter productive. They may as well not run them at all on that schedule.

Do it right, or not at all, say I.

Edited December 4, 2006 by burt

[eandslee]

Exactly, Eric. Electric buses without trolly attachments. They have to be recharged about every 40 miles or so. They are just the right size for the proposed Richmond loops. I never cared for those fake trolly buses. For the most part they are very uncomfortable and by no means weather-proof.

And note that they run about every 5 minutes in Chattanooga. Half hour headways between 2pm and 11pm is counter productive. They may as well not run them at all on that schedule.

Do it right, or not at all, say I.

What baffles me is that Richmond leaders just visited Chattanooga, TN to study how they operate things in their city and there was no mention of Richmond leaders looking at how Chattanooga operated their electric bus shuttle service. Someone in Richmond needs to wake up and begin looking at what they are doing because it would work and it's good for the environment. I think Chattanooga is "dead on" with this system.

[Lexy]

What baffles me is that Richmond leaders just visited Chattanooga, TN to study how they operate things in their city and there was no mention of Richmond leaders looking at how Chattanooga operated their electric bus shuttle service. Someone in Richmond needs to wake up and begin looking at what they are doing because it would work and it's good for the environment. I think Chattanooga is "dead on" with this system.

I have riden their electric bus system in Chatt. And I must say it is impressive for a city its size. Very clean and VERY efficent.

[wrldcoupe4]

Next week, City Concil's agenda includes a vote on a new Downtown Bus Circulator. I think this is the prelude program to bringing back a streetcar system downtown.

[wrldcoupe4]

Wow the changes happening on Powhite at the main toll plaza are happening quickly. They've rerouted the traffic leaving the tolls onto lanes that will eventually be reserved for Smart Tag users whizzing by at high speed. More delay than normal today coming home, I guess it was people getting used to the new temporary layout though... Traffic leaving downtown was backed up almost as far east as U of R Stadium!

It'll be awesome when they are finished with the changes though....

[wrldcoupe4]

Council holds off on a decision to create downtown circulator

At a meeting of the finance committee tonight....

Richmond is looking at a new way to move people around downtown, especially visitors looking for a meal or a way back to their hotels after a convention meeting....

The proposed service would replace the Lunchtime Express, a 20-month experiment that has been carrying about 60 passengers a day on a much shorter route through downtown Richmond.

The circulator would expand the service from three to 18 shuttle buses that would run a 6.2-mile route from Belvidere Street around the Greater Richmond Convention Center and Coliseum through the Central Business District to Shockoe Slip and the Bottom....

[burt]

This is a very intelligent discussion about transit in Richmond, and specifically regarding the Downtown Circular. Who says we can't be influential with those crafting the plan? Could we send just this page via e-mail to The Mayor, each City Council member and the President of GRTC? I can't imagine they would object to our input.

[eandslee]

Wow the changes happening on Powhite at the main toll plaza are happening quickly. They've rerouted the traffic leaving the tolls onto lanes that will eventually be reserved for Smart Tag users whizzing by at high speed. More delay than normal today coming home, I guess it was people getting used to the new temporary layout though... Traffic leaving downtown was backed up almost as far east as U of R Stadium!

It'll be awesome when they are finished with the changes though....

Yeah, what's so great about RMA spending $25 million more of your dollars (those who travel the Powhite) to build a faster way to collect, again, your money? I've always objected to the tolls and the way RMA finds ways to extend the time they will have to collect money from the public traveling the roads. Just seems really fishy to me that they would do this. $25 million dollars will add at least 10-15 more years onto the current time that RMA has to pay off the debt for building the road in the first place. I do not celebrate this.

[wrldcoupe4]

Really fishy? You don't have to sit in the traffic waiting to go through the toll plaza everyday... the benefit is not having to sit in unnecessary bumper to bumper traffic.

Here's a link to read more on why there are tolls etc...

RMA faqs

It's also important to note that the RMA portion of the DT expressway, Powhite Pkwy, and Nickel bridge receive no funding other than toll revenue, so users aren't being "double taxed."

[burt]

This is a very intelligent discussion about transit in Richmond, and specifically regarding the Downtown Circular. Who says we can't be influential with those crafting the plan? Could we send just this page via e-mail to The Mayor, each City Council member and the President of GRTC? I can't imagine they would object to our input.

Hahaha. I guess I'm the only one who thought this might be a good idea.

[eandslee]

Really fishy? You don't have to sit in the traffic waiting to go through the toll plaza everyday... the benefit is not having to sit in unnecessary bumper to bumper traffic.

I understand why there are tolls, but to spend $25 million more dollars to efficiently collect more money just sound like RMA is taking Richmonders for a "ride". And no, I don't sit in traffic everyday at a toll plaza (thank goodness Montana doesn't have toll roads), but I used to when I lived there and hated every moment of it.

[JSI]

I understand why there are tolls, but to spend $25 million more dollars to efficiently collect more money just sound like RMA is taking Richmonders for a "ride". And no, I don't sit in traffic everyday at a toll plaza (thank goodness Montana doesn't have toll roads), but I used to when I lived there and hated every moment of it.

Maybe it will deter more people from moving out to the 'burbs and staying in the city. I live in Oregon Hill and rarely pay any tolls.

[eandslee]

Maybe it will deter more people from moving out to the 'burbs and staying in the city. I live in Oregon Hill and rarely pay any tolls.

Unfortunately, I don't think that it has detered many residents from moving into Chesterfield because Chesterfield is known as a "bedroom community", but I can see how it has affected business in Chesterfield. Chesterfield is having trouble luring businesses to the county and while I can't say for sure if it is the sole reason (which I doubt), I can probably be safe in saying that it is a small part of the reason.